Chibei outan 池北偶談

Chibei outan 池北偶談 "Occasional talks from north of the pond" is a "brush-notes"-style book (biji 筆記) written during the early Qing period 清 (1644-1911) by Wang Shizhen 王士禎 (1634-1711). The book's name is derived from the name of Wang's library, Chibei Shuku 池北書庫. The author often gathered there with guests for discussions in the Shifan Pavilion 石帆亭 beside the library. These conversations were recorded and compiled by younger members of the household, eventually forming this book. For this reason, it was also titled Shifanting jitan 石帆亭紀談 "Jottings from Stone-Sail Pavilion".

The book of 26 juan length was completed in 1691 and is divided into four sections. Much of its content can serve as reference material for historical research. The section titled "Talks on issues of the past" (Tangu 談故) describes official practices and historical facts such as the Qing court's appointment of regional inspectors (xun'an 巡按), examinations for the Eight Banners, promotions in Taiwan, Manchu provincial exams, and the Eight Banners' funerary sacrifices. The "Talks on offerings" (Tanxian 談獻) section discusses notable individuals and events from the mid-Ming period 明 (1368-1644) onward, including Shi Kefa 史可法 (1602-1645), Fu Shan 傅山 (1607-1684) and his son Fu Mei 傅眉 (1628-1683), the ministers of the last decades of the Ming era, as well as virtuous Qing officials, meritorious figures, eccentrics (chouren 畸人), and exemplary women—occasionally also criticising those of poor conduct. The "Talks on the arts" (Tanyi 談藝) section is the essence of the entire work. It critiques poetry, prose, calligraphy, and painting through the lens of the "spiritual charm" (shenyun 神韻) theory, a literary concept of Wang Shizhen, offering original and unconventional insights—truly a unique contribution. The "Talks on the strange" (Tanyi 談異) section consists entirely of supernatural stories, many of which are broadly similar in theme and structure to those found in the famous collection Liaozhai zhiyi 聊齋志異.

There were many editions in premodern times. During the Republican period, the Wenming Shuju 文明書局 in Shanghai included the Chibei outan in the series Qingdai biji congkan 清代筆記叢刊. It is also found in the Biji xiaoshuo daguan 筆記小說大觀. A punctuated edition was published in 1980 by the Zhonghua Shuju 中華書局. The text is included in the imperial series Siku quanshu 四庫全書.